Rating: 
Summary: Audiophile (Almost) Perfection
Review: Sennheiser have long been a favourite company of mine. The HD570 Symphony is actually my third Sennheiser headphones and I can truly say that they represent an Audiophile's dream come true. LISTENING SESSIONS:
When choosing these headphones I had the option of getting these, a more expensive one (ie HD590 or 600), or a closed one. I was not to interested or impressed by the closed ones and was not willing to spend more than double for the HD590 or the HD600 (the Sennheiser Orpheus was of course out of the question!). Other models I looked at were the HD490 and the HD500 but they are obviously inferior to these ones. Upon arriving home, I tested the headphones out using an Arcam Stereo Amp and Denon CD player. The sound was just brilliant. It was so transparent and the imaging is great. The highs are high and the bass is powerful. The mid range is exceptionally bright. The only complaint I had was that it seemed to accentuate the tape hiss on the otherwise flawless "Kind Of Blue" album by Miles Davis, but this is only a small complaint. Other CDs I used for testing included many of Miles Daivis's albums, Chesky's "Ultimate Demostration Disc", Garth Brooks's "In The Life of Chris Gaines", Alicia Keys "Songs In A Minor", The "Ali" Soundtrack, Babyface's "The Day", Aaliyah's self titled, Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On [Deluxe Edition]", Kenny Loggins's "Unimaginable Life", Rick Price's "Tamborine Mountain", Diana Krall's tribute to Nat King Cole and Kurt Elling's live album. All sounded great, especially female voices and horn instruments. Percussion could be heard very well separated. The electronic sounds of a highly produced album (Aaliyah's) were still strong and did not sound horrid. One thing that occured a few times was a slight buzzing sound from the left side, but it only occured on two discs so I am wondering whether it is actually a CD flaw. Being a fan of CD alternatives Mini Disc and Vinyl I can tell you right now: do not use these headphones with these two mediums unless you have a very good valve amp. Static from vinyl is loud and clear. The most revealing thing though was that Mini Discs sounded terrible on the HD570s; lacking depth. I never had noticed that before. I compared the HD570 to my HD433 and the HD26. The inferior models sounded flat in comparison, however the HD433 and HD26 were a lot louder due to the high impedence of the HD570s, so I had to turn the volume up and down for comparisons. Also for users who are into gaming or movies, these perform very well. Users of personal and prtable Hi Fi, you are warned; the high impedence means that portables just don't have to power the get these headphones to reasonable volumes, so I suggest getting one of the 400 series headphones instead if that is your main use. CONCLUSION
All in all, these are the best headphones for the price, but if you have more money ther HD600 is better. These will probably be my primary headphones for years to come. The HD 433 will still get used for my portable Hi Fi, and the HD 26s stay home as a sentimental favourite since they were my first step into the bigger world of Sennheiser.
Rating: 
Summary: Pooly made and over hyped
Review: Ok, so I buy these expensive headphones thinking I'm going to get the creme of the crop, but alas they are made of very flimsy plastic! Sound wise they were OK, but my pair of sony MDR-V600's was just as good!
Rating:
Summary: My first experience with audiophile products...
Review: Firstly, I would just like to say that the 5/5 rating should be taken with a grain of salt. The HD570's were my first and, so far, only encounter with Audiophile level products and, as such, this is as much a review of the level of product as it is a review of the headphones. I have little to compare them to in the same level of quality. These headphones blew me away. I bought them to replace a broken set of Sony MDR-V500DJ's. When I first listened to them, I listened to one of my favourite songs which I know like the back of my hand. Amazingly, I was able to hear things with these headphones that I had never heard before, even when using the Sony headphones. These headphones will really let you hear your music in a way that you have never heard it before. To address common complaints that I have read about the headphone: 1) Size. It is true, they are very big and very bulky. What I find is the best way to deal with the size of them is to disconnect the cord from the headphones, so that I can pack everything into two items: my backpack/bag for the CD player, CDs, and books, and the headphones. It is really not an issue (unless you are afraid to look silly with these large headphones on). 2) Power. Many people have made comments about the power of these headphones, and it seems that most people believe that a portable CD player will not adequately be able to power them. I tested them on my Panasonic Metal Shockwave (with radio), and they worked fine. If you have an older portable player, or are unsure if yours could handle the workload, electronics stores should have no problem with you taking you CD player in to test the headphones with. 3) Bass. Many people have commented on a "weak" amount of bass. I find this to be totally untrue. I found that there was plenty of bass with these, even without the bass boost of my amp on. I find that they provide a very balanced sound, from bass to highs. 4) Style of music. Many people have mentioned that they feel that these headphones only sound good with classical music. Again, I found this to be untrue. I tested them with some of everything, from extreme metal (Emperor, Carpathian Forest) to prog. rock (Rush, Dream Theater) to jazz/fusion (JATP, Steve Vai). They sound great with every style. I think a better way to put it is that they sound relatively bad on other styles...they sound great, but classical is just a fraction better, and so other styles sound bad in comparison. So if you are upgrading to your first audiophile headphone set like I was, I would recommend these to you. They are comfortable, repairable, don't have nearly as many problems or issues as people seem to think (in my opinion), and sound damn good.
Rating:
Summary: Not perfect, but very good for the money.
Review: I'd honestly like to give these headphones 4 1/2 stars, but it's not allowed so I rounded up because I feel they are better than the headphones I see with 4 stars. For starters, I own the Grado SR-60's and there just is no comparison. The HD570's midrange and highs are slightly better than the SR-60's (for the money, the SR-60's have the best midrange and highs on the market, IMO). The bass on the HD570, however, blows away the SR-60's giving it a much warmer, richer, and fuller sound. On top of that, the HD570's are light as a feather and are comfortable for hours (I could never wear the SR-60's for more than 1 hour without a break). The first time I used the HD570's, I had them on for 3 hours, and they were still comfortable... I will say that the HD570's need more power than the average headphone (it's close to the highest quality headphone you can get without needing a headphone amp). The quality of sound when plugged into a discman vs. a headphone jack on a pair of computer speakers is quite startling - so this is not a set you'd buy for most portable equipment. The only chink in the armor for me was the bass. Although it is much fuller on the HD570's, I found it to be not quite as musical as I'd like. More of a "boom, boom" than individual notes. This was not pronounced or distracting, however, just something that keeps it from being perfect. If you want perfection, you'll have to spend a little more money.
Rating: 
Summary: Reduced Sound
Review: The sound quality is good with these Sennheiser's, but I was disappointed in the volume level in comparrison to my old KOSS headphones. The volume dropped considerably when I switched from my Koss to the Sennheiser's while playing my digital piano. However, I was able to compensate by turning up the volume on my digital piano. On the plus side, the higher end frequencies are wonderful, but the bass seems to be better on my KOSS. They are very comfortable to wear for extended periods. Overall, I wouldn't tell you not to buy them, but if you have an opportunity to listen to them for at least 30 minutes before you buy, please do so. They may not be what you are looking for.
Rating: 
Summary: Impressive Base
Review: The good stuff: Base to the point of infrasound. Music with good base rendition in the recording can feel like heat -- for example - try William Orbit's "Toward the Unknown Region" -- which is both disturbing and interesting. Lightweight. Removable cord is a plus. Spacious with very little perceptible muddling which may be the result of the recording. Bad recordings sound really bad. MP3s with enough sampling sound really good especially with WinAmp equalization. Extremely "tight" sound. Better than any I've heard; I have not heard the HD600 however. The bad stuff: Ear muffs can get hot. High range can be painful for certain recordings. High range can sound quite alien and I had to modulate with equalizer. Other: Sounded okay on my average powered walkman. Sounded better running off computer sound card.
Rating:
Summary: These headphones rock
Review: I'm not big on technical mumbo jumbo, but I know what sounds good -- and these headphones sound good! They're a bit big and I probably look like a dork wearing them, but the sound is truly fanastic.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent sound...
Review: I purchased these headphones based on the Sennheiser reputation. All i have to say is, "Sennheiser has exceeded their reputation!" These headphones are incredible. I listen to all kinds of music and I put these headphones to the test. Despite the "Symphony" in the name, they sound great for any music from classical to acid jazz to hip hop to techno. Are you a gamer? If so, you can hear details that you wouldn't be able to hear with other headphones. Footsteps??? Creaks??? etc... These are a great deal. It's worth the extra $$$ if you weren't looking to spend over $100 and worth saving the extra $$$ if you planning on spending over $200. Give them a shot!
Rating:
Summary: These headphones are AWESOME, but...
Review: Make no mistake, Sonnheiser headphones are just about the best bang for the buck you can get. I'm extremely happy with the sound quality, and the design of these headphones leaves them relatively quiet (unlike a lot of the open ear headphones out there). On several occasions, I have stood up too fast and walked away from my work area because I had forgotten I had headphones on. Unlike my previous Sonys, Sonnheiser's unique plug into the headphones pulled out and saved me from breaking my wire! However, now, after about 1 1/2 years of abuse, the headphones are getting to the point where I have to play with the plug on the headset to get good sound quality sometimes. It's really annoying. I know I can get a replacement, but I haven't investigated. It's definitely their achilles' heel. Also, they don't really work well on portables. Get different headphones for portables. But, if you're looking for an awesome pair of headphones for less than 2 bills, this is it. All the best, Jon.Dillon@PowerThe.Com
Rating:
Summary: Best headphones you can buy for the money!
Review: Forget the also-rans, Sennheisers are THE headphones to own! In true Sennheiser tradition, the 570's are an incredible pair of cans for the money offering a very neutral sound, great styling, comfort (you can wear them for hours without fatigue) and a cleverly designed detachable 3m chord. Add to this replaceable components, 2 years warranty and a sensible asking price well, it goes without saying you're on to a winner! I have been using these headphones for just over 3 months now, I bought these to replace my old HD445's and the difference is startling. The 570's would disgrace some speakers out there costing 5 times as much! The level of detail these 'phones can retrieve from a well-recorded CD or LP is stunning. They sound as if a pair of very expensive speakers have been placed in your ears. To say they are only suited to light classical or symphonic music is ridiculous! And don't let the 'Symphony' suffix fool you. The 570's offer a very neutral presentation and that makes them suitable for use with ALL types of music. I've tried them with rock, pop, dance, classical - the full gamut of musical styles - and the 570's never fail to impress. I would describe them as having tight, taut and powerful bass with clean, smooth and superbly detailed mid-range, and crisp but not harsh or brittle treble. When I first bought the 570's, I tried them with some CD's that I had found virtually unlistenable on my old HD445's due to harsh and insistent treble. The Beatles back catalogue CD's (especially the early albums) from 1987/88, with their harsh and cutting treble, were unbearable to listen to on my 445's but are actually VERY listenable on these headphones. These headphones really are a bargain for the money and will slot easily into any mid-priced or even budget hi-fi separates system. They are not really suited for use with portable equipment and if you want to hear them at their best, they need to be run in for a while (just like any other hi-fi component). I am starting to hear low-level detail on my CDs and LPs that I never even knew existed. For the money, these headphones offer incredible value.
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